Star Wars: Episode VII Filming - Why Mark Hamill Was In Ireland

Star Wars: Episode VII has just wrapped a three-day shoot in a remote part of Ireland, and we finally know who was filming part of their role in J.J. Abrams' surefire blockbuster of 2015. As if to remind everyone that Harrison Ford isn't the only original trilogy cast member involved in this picture, Mark Hamill was apparently the cast member on hand for the three-day shoot, which started on Monday and ended on Wednesday.

The proof was released onto Hamill's Twitter feed, in the form of this semi-cryptic message:

As we know, Star Wars: Episode VII was set to be filming on the remote Irish island of Skellig Michael, and Hamill's presence there has us asking some questions. Most importantly, what could a location like this have to do with the continuing story arc of Luke Skywalker.

Picture if you will the following scenario. For decades after the events of Return Of The Jedi, Luke has been a recluse on the swamp planet of Dagobah. After the death of his father, and the defeat of the Empire, Luke has returned to the planet on which Master Yoda himself started his Jedi training. Through the passing of time, he's not only become a full-fledged Jedi master, but he's learned secrets about The Force that not even Master Yoda could have predicted. All the while, something is lurking in the darkness of his very soul. Something that hasn't been felt ever since the fateful day of the Battle Of Endor.

Of course, that's just a bunch of speculative fiction. It's not too far off, as J.J. Abrams is such a huge fan of the original trilogy's canon that it would make a ton of sense to throw in a sequence returning to the swamp planet we first saw in The Empire Strikes Back. Of course, the fun part about the Star Wars mythos is that the universe is so huge that there are planets we've never even seen on film yet. For all we know, Mark Hamill is the first actor to enjoy breathing the air of a cinematically uncharted planet in the Star Wars galaxy. Either way, we've answered one question, only to ask about five more. If that doesn't sound like production is moving smoothly, I don't know what does.

We previously were talking about Harrison Ford's ankle and wondering whether Star Wars: Episode VII would make its intended release date. The fact that we're back to talking about speculation and location shooting is a welcome return to normal. Here's hoping that Ford's remainder of the shooting schedule is uneventful, and here's hoping that Mark Hamill is enjoying his return to the Star Wars saga. Star Wars: Episode VII will be landing in a theater near you on December 18th, 2015.